Revolutionary Video Standard Receives Emmy Award

(ISO: Geneva, Switzerland) -- The U.S. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded the prestigious Emmy Award for Excellence to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on August 23, 2008 for their work in producing an advanced video-coding standard, formally known as “ITU-T Recommendation H.264 | ISO/IEC 14496-10 on Advanced Video Coding (AVC).”

The Joint Video Team (JVT), made up of experts from the three international standards organizations, received industry recognition for its landmark achievement in developing a high profile that extends the reach of high-quality video from mobile telephones right through to high definition television.

H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC is a highly-efficient, video-compression method that substantially reduces the bandwidth needed to deliver high-quality video and the space required to store it. Seven sets of capabilities, referred to as “profiles,” have been created for use in specific applications. Its popularity is derived from a combination of the great efficiency of the codec as well as its scalability in delivering excellent quality across the entire bandwidth spectrum, from high-definition television to videoconferencing and third-generation-mobile multimedia.

“H.264 | MPEG-4 AVC is a jewel in the crown of international standards collaboration,” stated Malcolm Johnson, director of ITU’s telecommunication standardization bureau, in his acceptance speech on behalf of the three organizations. “This standard’s versatility has been recognized and applauded across an amazing spectrum of industry. Its widespread adoption is testament to the flexibility and efficiency that has been engineered by a group of people that have dedicated themselves to achieving this goal. It also demonstrates a sincere and strong belief in the power of international standards.”